Architecture exhibition will focus on response to Japan earthquake of 2011

The UHM School of Architecture has announced a joint gallery exhibition with The Japan Foundation titled, "How Did Architects Respond Immediately After 3/11 – The Great East Japan Earthquake." The exhibition will be held at the Haigo and Irene Shen Architecture Gallery, which is located on the second floor of the Architecture Building (adjacent to the Architecture Auditorium).

The exhibition will run until Friday, June 27, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday. The public is also welcome to a gallery opening reception onWednesday, April 23, 2014, from 7-9 p.m.

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and a massive tsunami devastated the Tohoku region of Japan. It was the most powerful earthquake to ever hit Japan, leaving homes, buildings and towns completely destroyed.

This catastrophic event left architects wondering, “What could architecture accomplish in such a situation?” The resulting show, "How Did Architects Respond Immediately After 3/11 – The Great East Japan Earthquake," was assembled by The Japan Foundation, with the intention to exhibit the diversity of approaches to post-disaster architecture that was implemented by architects in the 3/11 disaster zones of Japan. The response from architects may be divided into three phases. stage one: emergency responses; stage 2: temporary housing; and stage 3: reconstruction projects. These phases are still being planned out and implemented today.

At this exhibition, the public can expect to gain a deeper understanding of the numerous people and their projects that helped realize a path to recovery. There will be panel displays of project summaries with drawings, illustrations and photographs, along with a number of restoration proposals submitted by foreign architects from all over the world.